NBA rumors: Rubber meets road on important Celtics decision

The Boston Celtics and Jaylen Brown are expected to make progress toward an extension in the coming days. 

All eyes were on the Boston Celtics entering the 2023 offseason. Fresh off getting embarrassed by the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in the conference finals, Boston felt like a team destined to make big changes. Well, indeed they have.

Celtics president Brad Stevens orchestrated a three-team deal that shipped former DPOY Marcus Smart to Memphis and landed Kristaps Porzingis in Boston. The Celtics lost Grant Williams to Dallas in a sign-and-trade. The roster will look different next season.

One presently unresolved matter, however, is Jaylen Brown’s contract. The 26-year-old made second team All-NBA last season, averaging 26.6 points and 6.9 rebounds on 58.1 TS%. Now, he’s eligible for a supermax extension worth $295 million over five years.

It has taken longer than expected for talks to evolve, but now it appears the Celtics are working toward a resolution with their star wing.

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics making progress on contract extension

Per Jared Weiss of The Athletic, the Celtics and Brown are “starting to make progress” on a new contract. Brown may or may not receive the fully guaranteed supermax after his lackluster performance in the third round, but he’s still expected to fetch somewhere in that ballpark. If Boston is quibbling over details, it probably has more to do with player options and incentives than dollar amount.

Brown’s fit with Jayson Tatum really came into question after his postseason flameout. The Celtics still don’t have a ton of reliable decision-makers on the perimeter. Brown is a gifted shooter and slasher, but when asked to create his own offense at a high clip he becomes extremely turnover prone. Without making progress as a ball-handler and processor, he will continue to run the risk of hitting the same wall he did in Game 7 against Miami: 19 points on 8-of-23 shooting, eight turnovers.

Still, the Celtics are wise to not overreact to one bad game. Despite his many flaws, there aren’t many prime-aged wings as good as Brown. He’s a monster attacking off the catch, frequently putting pressure on the rim or beating good defense with even better shot-making. He’s also a versatile defender who has become an important cog in Boston’s uniquely versatile scheme.

If better options were available, the Celtics’ front office would probably be putting its phone to use. The Celtics have never been afraid to swing big trades. But, with Damian Lillard a virtual lock to land in Miami from the feel of it, the Celtics don’t really have superior alternatives that reasonably within their grasp. Brown has been to the Finals once and the conference finals thrice with Boston. Individually, he has two All-Star appearances and his recent All-NBA nod. Not many players his age have such a stacked résumé.

Expect Boston and Brown to agree to terms well before training camp starts.